The Graduate

I feel like just yesterday I was sharing your birth story. But now, here we are.  You've been preparing for this for the past 12 years. It's finally your year. So many fun things to come such as senior sunrise, homecoming, senior sunset, Prom, end of year bbq, signing the rock, the senior all-nighter, your Navy swear-in at MEPS, your 18th birthday and graduation. This is for you. You're the graduate.

We should have probably known that something was up last fall when you crawled out of bed at 5 am to go watch the sunrise with the rest of the class of 2020 and the clouds didn't let it happen. No senior sunrise? Bummer, but that's okay. So many more events to come.

I will never forget the day the governor announced that classes were cancelled. I was helping in Tyler's class, doing an art project, and his teacher pulled the press conference up on his laptop.  We listened as we were told that after Monday there would be no classes. I remember him and I looking at each other, and saying, What does this mean for all these kids? He also had a senior at the rivalry high school, and what will happen with graduation? What will happen with the Navy swear in? So many unanswered questions.

That next week we navigated into new unchartered waters. Thankfully you had a pretty laid back schedule your senior year, but if I never have to smell the smell of clay in your bedroom again, that will be okay with me. Watching you build your clay statue in your bedroom is something I never thought would happen. But here I am watching Freddy Kreuger come to life.

The day you left for MEPS was one of the longest days of my life. Not hearing from you for over 24 hours had happened before. You've stayed with friends and family plenty of times. But this time was different. Today a life-altering plan was being made and I was not there to see or hear what was happening.  When you came through the door it was such a relief and the moment you told me you got the rate you wanted made me so incredibly proud of you. I really don't know if I have had a prouder moment than that.

Two weeks after MEPS you turned 18. Of course, we had plans for a party that had already been long ago shot down, but that doesn't mean we aren't celebrating! It was just a little bit of a smaller celebration with Bailey and Grandpa.

Now we are down to the last month of the school year. What is going to happen with Graduation? Do we send out announcements? Do we plan a graduation party? Will we be able to celebrate at all? Thankfully we live in the school district that we do because they did everything they could to make sure you and your classmates felt celebrated. Which honestly, isn't easy with 400 students!

A sign was added to our front yard and you waited for 5 hours in line to get free Krispy Kreme donuts:

All the senior's names were added to the field:

You still got to sign the rock:

And have your senior alumni breakfast, sort of....

They made sure that not only did you have an in-person graduation: 

And your friends got to ride along as you did for theirs: 

But one that was broadcasted for friends and family to see as well: 

And if you'd like to watch graduation over again, find it HERE

Finally, after things hadn't really settled down, we decided to just do a graduation party. Because you need to be celebrated. Sure, fewer people came and it wasn't spent hugging and standing in close quarters. But we are thankful for those that came to show you they care and are proud of you.

After all, you are The Graduate.

Watershed 2016

Last weekend I experienced something for the very first time. It is called Watershed. Have you ever heard of it?

I know, Probably not. Unless you are right up in my corner of the upper left. That is Washington State for those of you that still don't get it. (Pic from The Gorge Amphitheatre)



We got inside and were feeling ready to check everything out!



It was one of the most interesting slash fun slash entertaining weekends I have had in a long time.

Watershed is a HUGE Country Musical Festival.

Not only does Watershed bring HUGE names to the stage, but small names too. People who are trying to get their names out there to the public, trying to be heard. They have the big "Main stage" and up further on the grass they have the "Next From Nashville" stage where they have music playing almost all day.



So let me go back a little....  Months ago tickets went on sale and they sold out in a matter of minutes, which is crazy because the Gorge Amphitheatre can house about 25,000 people. For the first year they decided to add a second weekend! All of the headliners were able to come back for the second weekend and only a few adjustments were made to the show, so it was going to be another record weekend!

As fun as the show sounded, tickets are expensive and leaving town for 3 days when you have kids just isn't always feasible. But then my friend gave me tickets. (Yes, I know she is a good friend!) So I was determined to make it work!

I asked a lot of people, but no one could really make it work for all 3 days, my husband wasn't really into going for all 3 days, so I asked Zachary if he wanted to go. He wasn't super into it, he is 14 after all, but told me he would go. I was looking forward to spending 3 days of quality time with Zach because we don't really get much one on one time and it was much needed.

And because I can't go somewhere without making something to take/wear, I made these:



So on Friday afternoon we headed out of town. It is only about 130 miles away and we made it there just about a half hour before Travis Tritt took the stage.



He made me hashtag this pic on Instagram #zoolander

I have been a picture taker my entire life and when Zach was younger he let me take pictures of him, but these days they are few and far between. However, I told him going into this weekend that I was going to be taking lots of pictures and selfies and he was just going to have to deal with it. (He didn't give me too much grief about it)

Zachary always makes fun of Travis and I for listening to the 90's Country Radio on Pandora and now he was living it! haha! He didn't know a single Travis Tritt song and it made me feel a little like I have failed him in the music department.  (Pic taken from Watershed fb page)



But afterward was Jason Aldean and he was the one I was most excited to see!

(You can see some of the videos I took from the concert here on YouTube)



Jason Aldean definitely didn't disappoint! He totally rocked it and he sang the song I most wanted to hear, which was "Take a little ride".  (Pic from Watershed fb page)



After the concert we headed to my friends house. She not only gave me the tickets but let us stay with her family. She doesn't live too far from the venue and camping looked like this:



And that was just one camping area!! Crazy, right??? (pic from Watershed fb page)

The next day we relaxed in the morning, had breakfast with my friend and her sweet girls then headed back to the Gorge.

The line up for the afternoon was Realynn (from The Voice), Aaron Tippin, Ben and Noel Haggard (originally was supposed to be Merle Haggard), Kacey Musgraves and Eric Church. Yes people, Eric Church. I was soo excited. But before we could watch any of them we had rides to ride, booths to check out and food to eat! It was like a carnival!



We rode the swing several times! It was so fun and there was an amazing view!



We also rode the ferris wheel. Which if you know my personally, you might know that I don't do ferris wheels. But this was the kind that was more of a box, not just the little cart. But I was still freaked out and told Zach I'd never do it again! (But look at that view behind him!)

They had a tent that was full of foam that you could play in. And they had a HUGE blow up water slide, and of course, countless places for photo ops!



After a day of fun, and watching the Next from Nashville stage (Bailey Bryan is pretty amazing!) we headed back to our blanket and waited for the evening line up to start! It was great because we had lots of snacks, water and a blanket to lay on and we just had a chill evening listening to music.



Eric Church was amazing. I won't lie, when we went he was the headliner I was looking forward to the least because I didn't think I knew very many of his songs but as he sang song after song that I knew I realized I basically love Eric Church. <3 (pic from IG profile chad071121)



Then we headed back home to my friends house. The next morning we were able to chill out and take it slow. We decided to go a hour or so later than the day before.

So we headed back to the Gorge for our 3rd and final day. Today was going to be a great day because we were seeing Keith Urban, Brett Eldredge, Chris Janson, David Nail. I wasn't sure who Chris Janson or David Nail were at first, but once they started singing I knew their songs and I was excited. And even more excited once I realized that Chris Janson sings one of our favorite songs, "Buy me a boat". Tyler loves that song and we are always singing it around the house so I recorded it for him to hear! (And he was soo excited!!)

Keith Urban wrapped up an amazing weekend. (pic from watershed fb page)



He played so many of his hits, jammed out on his guitar and was chatty like I expected. He put on an awesome show and I am so glad I got to see him live!!

Zachary said he had more fun than he thought he would and he even liked some of the music. We went and bought all of Eric Church's cds too! It was definitely a weekend I won't forget, and after the girls were flashing their boobies at the screen I am sure it is one Zachary won't forget either! haha!

Being a Stay at home Mom. 5 years later

I can't believe it has been 5 years since I last worked. I remember when I left my job like it was yesterday. The decision to leave was made relatively quick, over a day or two. My husband and I worked together and had just gotten married. One of us had to leave and I was pregnant. It was pretty much a no brainer. We knew I would be the one to leave but it was bitter sweet.  I even applied for other jobs, had a couple of interviews, but ultimately we knew I was going to stay home.



I never thought I would be sitting at home watching soap operas and eating bon bons (nor did I want to be), but I'll admit that I was naïve enough that I thought I would have time to dig out the old VHS player and catch up on old movies I hadn't seen in ages, or be able to get caught up on my scrapbooks before Tyler arrived. But you know how that goes. We bought a house, Tyler was born, less than two years later Summer was born and two years later... Here we are. Life never slows down and I swear that each year that goes by, the next goes even quicker. And instead, I'm making scrapbooks via Shutterfly, or whoever else has a free or heavily discounted book up for grabs.



One thing about it, being a mom is the hardest, most rewarding job out there. I am so grateful for Travis that he works so hard so that I can stay at home with the kids. And I love being home with them.



Now don't get me wrong. My sleep is minimal and sometimes I want to pull my hair out. I have toddler songs running through my head all day long and I look forward to nap time every.single.day. There are times that Travis walks through the door and I have to just go close myself in the room to pee by myself. But if circumstances changed and I needed to go back to work I would be upset. I know it is not for everyone, but I like that I'm really the only one who raises my kids. I enjoy spending all day every day with them, even if that means I shower with two toddlers and I don't pee by myself. Ever. Even if it means that my adult interaction is limited. It means that I still don't have hand made scrapbooks, or watch movies because I can't hear over the kids playing. or screaming.



But waking up to my kids talking and laughing. Making them breakfast, making lunches, getting kids on the bus and off to preschool, playdates and picnics at the park, not having to worry about taking time off to go to school functions or find a place for them to go during Spring break is such a wonderful feeling. It makes it all worth the long crazy days and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Why kids should use social networking sites ::from a 12 year olds perspective::

My 12 year old son recently had to write a paper in English regarding social media. Of course he chose to write about why kids should be allowed to use social networking sites and the positives of sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I have to say that I thought he did a pretty good job, I know I'm a bit partial, but I wanted to share. So take it over Zachary!



Do you want your child to get a good education? Then I suggest social networking, it will help your child in a number of aspects. Let's talk about what kids an do, how it encourages interaction and what you should be aware of.

The Things you an do are multiplying by the millions. When you are on Instagram you an post pictures of you and your friends. On Twitter, you can tweet hashtags to games you and your friends like. Next, you can share your everyday life on Facebook. Social media networking can also give you a way to get your voice heard.

"Almost three-fourths of 7th through 12th graders have at least one social media profile, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation." While it is discouraged to befriend strangers, it's a great way to meet and learn more about classmates.  Another way is news travels fast- After hearing about a new story it's common to pass along the news, keeping you engaged with friends.

What you should be aware of regarding social media includes, the people who make fake profiles. Sharing too much information such as; your address, phone number or even when you are out of town. You should also be aware of cyber bullying, because some people feel more powerful behind the keyboard.

In conclusion, I hope that I have persuaded you enough and helped you understand with my examples. With all of the things you can do on there, you should be buy all of the time. The way it encourages interaction, the friend conversations never stop. But be sure that you are aware of all the bad people that are out there. Following these steps should make a positive experience for everyone.

So now you've heard about social media from a 12 year old perspective, what do you think about social media for kids? Do you let your kids have accounts? Why or why not?

You're gonna miss this

So many times in day to day life things happen with the kids and I think "I'm not going to miss that"

For instance- Our dresser is mainly covered in stacks of diapers, pull-ups, wipes and piles of the kid's folded clothes that I have yet you put away. And regularly I think, "I can't wait to have a clean dresser top". Or one day while I was in the bathroom doing my makeup before we left the house Summer, so quickly, pulled out every single bath towel, hand towel and wash cloth from the cupboard onto the floor and I had just less than an hour before folded and put them all away. I remember thinking hose I won't miss this stage of her pulling everything from it's home.

So when Saturday came along, which I had been waiting for all week so I could go hangout with one of my best girls- Kid Free- I was driving to her house and this song by Trace Adkins came on the radio and I already missed my kids.  Now, each time this song comes on, I cry. I know good and well that the day will come along and I will miss all this craziness. But this time I felt like it hit me differently.  As I drove, singing along tears down my cheek it really hit me. In the blink of an eye Zachary went from a little 1 year old like Summer, to a rambunctious 3 year old like Tyler, to a pre-teen finishing his last year of elementary school. I miss the days of sitting in the rocking chair with him, watching Jeopardy.

I took more pictures than anyone really needs and documented everything. To this day I still take too many pictures, documenting everything along the way and know when I'm older and don't have these sweet littles running around the house anymore I will be so grateful to be able to think back and look at these kids and remember all the times they drove me crazy.

I love these three like no other.

2013 Year in Review

Welcome to the Blogging Besties' 2013: A Year in Review Link-Up!We are ready to tackle the new year, but before we do, we want to give 2013 a proper send-off.The highs, the lows, the smiles, the tears, the hugs, the trips, the holidays, the birthdays, the babies...whatever it is that made 2013 special, we want to know about it!Grab a button, visit the hosts, and link up your post about what 2013 was like for you!<center><a href="http://www.shapinguptobeamom.com/"><img src="http://i42.tinypic.com/2v2dr4m.png" /></a></center> 

Hosts: Megan: Shaping Up To Be A Mom Kate: Life As I Know It Camille: Friday We're In Love Jessa: Life Of A Sports Wife Leslie: Violet Imperfection Cassie: Live.Laugh.L0ve Renee: coffee-n-ink Kristine: The Foley Fam

2013 has been another amazing year for my family. It went by way too quick as we watched our family grow, chase kids around and live day to day life. I hope you are ready for a long review, full of links, pictures, and a whole lotta cute kids!

January was pretty quiet except Travis, Zachary and I went to see Rascal Flatts (for my 11th time!) and we got upgraded from our cheap, nose bleed seats to 10th row side seats! That was a super fun surprise! And I also shared this easy recipe to make our own (Olive Garden) Zuppa Toscana Soup. 

In February I turned 30! I don't know where the time has gone but I don't feel a day over 20! Travis threw me a wonderful surprise party with my friends and food! I was very surprised and so lucky to have my amazing husband, kids and friends to celebrate with! Tyler and I worked on a Valentine's day project, and I shared my "love" blocks. 

In March Travis turned 29! (Yep. I'm robbing the cradle!) We had a nice family dinner where I made Honey Pecan Chicken at Travis' request. And Tyler moved to his big boy Thomas the Train bed! 

April Travis and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary with dinner out and no kids! And Zachary turned 11 with a super fun pirate themed birthday party! And I shared my thoughts on being done having kids. 

In May we started out by going to see Elmo and Friends in "Sesame Street Live". I'm sure you can only imagine how wonderful that was to a little 2 1/2 year old in our house!  Tyler was in awe!  Travis' dad also came to visit and helped us get several projects around the house completed! Plus, I made a fun chalkboard wall in our house! 

June was a busier month with parties and baby showers to host! Zach and Travis went to Silverwood with tickets I won on the radio and Zach had field trips to Bear Lake and to launch his rockets for Science and he wrapped up the 5th grade! 

In July I kicked off the month with finally deciding to get my head in the game and get in shape! I did my very first Dirty Dash, we went to Silverwood, Travis' work cruise on Lake Coeur D'Alene and then to the Oregon Coast for some much needed time at the ocean/Portland zoo with the kids. It always goes way too fast but we sure enjoyed it. And of course, I blogged about it all! First half, Second half, Oregon Coast, Portland Zoo

August we spent many days knocking things off our Summer bucket list before school started again. We went to movies, made play-doh, spent lazy days at the lake with friends, made s'mores, had water balloon fights. It made for a fun Summer break.  And we finished up the summer with a trip to Montana to see Trav's dad.

September started us back to school- where we now have a 6th grader! Back into our routine with open house, home work, chores and a regular schedule. It also meant that Summer was turning ONE! A bittersweet  day knowing that this is our last first birthday but I didn't let it get me down and we threw a bash worth "buzzing" about with a Bumble Bee party. And Travis is down 50 pounds since July! 

October started with Travis and I seeing one of our favorite bands, BON JOVI! (So fun!) We celebrated Tyler's 3rd birthday a little early with a super fun Monkey party where we played games and ate banana splits until we were so full!  Then next day I found myself riding in an ambulance- because I thought I was dying! Luckily, I just had gall stones! And Travis headed to Montana for hunting season. Here I shared a little more about what we're up to. 

November I hit 30 pounds lost and had my gall bladder taken out. No need to keep it and wonder when I would feel like death again, right? Summer has really taken up chatting and loves to telling us "no no". She has no problem telling me when she wants to nurse, wants her cup, wants to go to bed, wants up- She's actually quite bossy! (Don't know where she gets that from!) She also loves her daddy and her brothers, loves to read, dance to music.

December proved to be just as busy with getting ready for Christmas. We started with a trip to the North Pole via Lake Coeur D'Alene cruises. And Tyler loved seeing Santa! I made us new stockings- that turned out great considering I haven't sewn since 7th grade Home Ec! Christmas was wonderful- And the kids got more than they know what to do with! But it was a great day! We had already saw family the weekend before, and we spent the day at home in our pajama playing with our new toys! (which I basically have slacked on blogging about everything this month!) 

Now we are ready to ring in the New Year and see what 2014 has in store for us! 

We want to hear all about your 2013! Grab a button and link up below!